


We'll Be Okay

by pintsandguitars



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Father! Zayn, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Shy Niall, Toddler! Niall, Unsure Zayn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-27
Updated: 2014-02-27
Packaged: 2018-01-13 23:01:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1243777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pintsandguitars/pseuds/pintsandguitars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For this prompt I got on Tumblr: </p><p>Toddler!Niall Father!Zayn. Zayn is single father who is trying to make his adopted son Niall become less shy after his other dad passes away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We'll Be Okay

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written a father/son relationship before, so I don't really know. Not my best work but oh well. 
> 
> \--B <3

It’s hard. 

Zayn feels a surge of pain over take his heart as he slips into his bed, the cold duvet sending chills up his arm. 

He can’t sleep anymore. Not after…

He’s just really cold. Cold, sad and so  _so_ alone. 

A tear escapes his eyes. One lone tear sliding down his face, breaking the promise he’d made to himself just the day before.

 _You can’t cry anymore, Zayn_. He had scolded himself. 

But how could he not cry? His entire life had been ripped from his arms, shredded and tossed away. So how could he not  _cry?_

He grabs the pillow beside him, bringing it up to his nose, and taking a deep breath.

His scent’s not even there anymore. It’s like he never lived in this house, slept in this bed, like he never even  _existed_. 

The one tears turns into two, and soon he’s sobbing into the pillow. His chest hurts, and he can’t  _breathe_. 

"Daddy?" says a small voice, and Zayn automatically halts. He quickly tries to wipe any evidence of tears from his face, and instead forces a small smile. 

"Niall?" 

There is a tiny figure standing in his doorway. He’s clutching a teddy bear that’s almost the size of him. 

"C’mere, baby." He calls to the figure. The figure hesitates for a moment, then slowly makes his way to Zayn’s bed. 

Zayn can now just make out the boy’s pale face. His nose is red and there are tear streaks marking his face. His wide blue eyes are stricken with fright. 

"Did you have a nightmare, again?" Zayn asks. Niall nods, his lips quivering and his eyes wet. 

Zayn can feel his heart breaking. 

"You wanna sleep with Daddy today?"

Another nod. 

He doesn’t talk much anymore. Niall used to be a lively kid, bouncing off of walls and giving Zayn an outright headache with all his questions. 

But the curious blue eyes don’t twinkle that brightly anymore, and his laugh isn’t as joyful. 

When he lost Liam, he lost a little bit of Niall too. 

Reaching down, he hoists Niall on top of his bed. The little boy shuffles into the covers, close enough for Zayn to touch him, but far enough to so they’re not snuggling.

Niall had always been closer to Liam. And Zayn was okay with that. Liam was the more maternal one in the pair, always taking care of everyone. Niall grew attached to him, it only made sense. 

But now, now Zayn didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to do when Niall had nightmares. Didn’t know what to do when Niall refused to eat his vegetables. Didn’t know what to do when Niall’s teachers told him Niall had become unnaturally quiet. 

Without Liam, Zayn just  _didn’t know what to do_. 

Zayn feels a familiar clench around his throat. 

 _No, Zayn. Not in front of Niall._  

Instead, he reaches for Niall with him arms, pulling the little boy into him arms. 

Liam wasn’t coming back. Zayn needed to understand that Liam wasn’t coming back and that Niall still needed someone to hold him. 

So he did just that. 

— 

"Niall, you want mac ‘n’ cheese?" 

Niall nodded at Zayn enthusiastically. 

"Okay, but if you want mac ‘n’ cheese, you’re going to have to finish those cucumbers first. " 

Niall pouts at his, shaking his head stubbornly. “No” 

Zayn folds his arms over his chest. “And why not?” 

"Don’t like ‘em." Niall tells him. Zayn sighs, frustrated with his son’s stubbornness. Then, he gets an idea. 

"Fine. But don’t tell me when you turn orange." He simply shrugs, turning back around to the stirring the pasta and to hide the smile on his face. 

"Orange?" Niall says behind him. 

_Yes._

"You don’t know?" Zayn asks his son, a fake expression of bewilderment on his face. Niall shakes his head again, his eyes wide with curiosity this time. 

"If you eat too much mac ‘n’ cheese, the orange cheese turns your skin orange!" He tells Niall, nodding to the orange picture proudly displayed on the Kraft Dinner box

"I don’t want to turn orange." Niall tells him with worried expression on his face.

"Well, then you’re going to have to eat those cucumbers. They suck the orange out of your skin." Zayn nods matter-of-factly. 

Niall wrinkles his nose. “But I don’t like em.”

"Well, guess then you’re going to have to stay orange." He tells him. 

He watches Niall contemplate the two options for a second. 

 _Please please please let me win this one,_ Zayn send a silent prayer. 

"Fine." Niall finally agrees, grabbing a cucumber slice and popping it into his mouth. 

Zayn smiles to himself, this small victory giving him some much needed hope. 

—

"Ms. Walsh tells me you’re not talking in school." Zayn is carrying Niall on his hip as they walk back to their flat. 

Niall pouts at him. “Ms. Walsh is mean.” 

"Niall, that’s not nice. We don’t say things like that," he warns the little boy squirming in his arms. Niall looks at his with his wide blue eyes and Zayn can feel his heart melting. 

"Why aren’t you talking?" he asks. 

“‘Cause I don’t got anything to say,” Niall shrugs, bringing his chubby fingers to brush his hair out of his eyes. 

"You don’t have anything to say?" Zayn quirks his eyebrows at him. "Not even in show and tell?" 

Niall’s eyes grow wider. 

"Why don’t you tell me the truth?" Zayn courses. He needs to fix this. 

Niall looks up at his through his lashes, looking like every bit like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. 

"No one wants to hear my show and tell," Niall pouts. 

"Why would know one want to hear your show and tell?" Zayn creases his forehead. Niall looks down at the floor, no meeting Zayn’s eyes. 

"Niall?" 

"No one likes me," he finally whispers. There is a shakiness to his voice and Zayn knows he’s crying. 

"I’m sure that’s not true. You’re a very lovely boy," Zayn coos, using his hand to wipe away his son’s tears. 

"No one plays with me," Niall tells him. 

His eyes are full of hurt and Zayn  _hates_  that a four year old child has that much pain. He needs to make it go away. 

"Do you want to learn to secret to making friends?" Zayn whispers into Niall’s ear. Niall’s eyes lit up and he nods his head frantically. 

"Well.."

—

"DADDY! DADDY!" Niall is running across the playground, shouting at Zayn. 

He opens his arms and the small boy runs straight into them. 

"Hi, sweetheart. How was school?" Zayn asks, picking Niall up and resting him on his hip. 

"I made a new friend!" Niall is still shouting, but Zayn doesn’t have the heart to stump his excitement. There is a large smile across his face and his eyes are lit up. 

"Really? Did my secret work, then?" Niall nods his head, and places a wet kiss on Zayn’s cheeks. 

"It did, Daddy. It did. You’re the bestest!" Niall claims, throwing his arms around Zayn’s neck. Zayn laughs. 

"Why don’t you tell me about your new friend then?" Zayn places Niall back on the ground. Niall had told him just yesterday that he was a big boy now and didn’t need to be carried around anymore. But, Zayn still hangs on to one of Niall’s tiny hands. 

"Okay. So her name is Rebecca and she really likes Dora too!" Zayn listens intently as Niall rambles on about his new friend. He makes a mental note to check with Rebecca’s parents and set up a play date. 

"Want to go get ice cream?" Zayn asks Niall after he’s done telling him all about Rebecca. 

Niall’s eyes go wide and a grin splits across his face. “Yes, please!” 

Walking into the ice cream shop, Zayn is hit with a sudden realization. The last time they had been there, Liam had been with them. 

"Daddy, can you pick me up?" Zayn snaps back into reality after he realizes Niall is tugging on his arm. 

He smiles fondly at his son. “And what happened to being a big boy?” he teases. 

Niall pouts again. “I am! I just can’t see the flavours!” he protests. Chuckling, Zayn pulls him up into his arms.

He watched the Nialls eyes widen at all the flavours. 

"Well, what will it be then?" Zayn asks. 

Niall ponders for a moment. “Strawberry!” 

Zayn’s heart twists. 

He pays for the ice cream and leads Niall to a table in the corner. He doesn’t say anything, watching as Niall licks away at his ice cream cone. 

"Daddy, I’m sorry." Niall says randomly, his licking suddenly stunted. 

"Sorry for what, kiddo?" Zayn questions, not really sure what this is about. 

"I know strawberry was Papa’s favourite. I’m sorry for stealing it." He hold his cone out to Zayn. "You can take it back." 

 _Fuck_. 

Here he was, making a child feel guilty for liking a flavour of ice cream. Zayn looks at Niall; his brown hair is sticking up in all directions and his face is covered with ice cream. 

And Zayn can’t help but feel a immense amount of love for the kid sitting in front of him. Because he was only thing left for Zayn. The only thing that mattered. 

He takes the cone out of Niall hand, and Niall follows with his eyes. Then, he takes a lick from the cone. “Strawberry is my favourite, too. We won’t tell Papa,” Zayn winks, handing the cone back. 

"I miss him." Niall says. 

"I miss him, too." Zayn admits. 

"Where is he now, Daddy?" Niall asks, blue eyes yet again full of curiosity. Zayn gulps away the lump in his throat. 

"Papa?" Niall nods. 

He brings his hands up to Niall’s chest, and points to his heart. “In there, baby.” 

He smiles as Niall places a chubby hand over that area. 

"He can fit in there?" Niall tilts his head at his own chest. 

Zayn can’t help but chuckle. 

— 

Lying in bed that night, his arms wrapped around Niall's tiny body, Zayn thinks back to the first time he met Liam. 

He had always been a quite kid, Zayn had. As an only child, he didn't know what to say or how to make friends. When he had first started kindergarten, everyday after his mom dropped him off at school, he would find a corner of the classroom to sit down and cry.  _  
_

Then one day, a chubby brunette kid had wadded up to him, brown eyes wide and mouth smeared with chocolate.

"Why are you crying?" the kid asked, looming over Zayn. 

"Because no one wants to play with me," Zayn had sniffled, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand. 

The boy's eyes had widened even further, "Do you want to know the secret to making friends?" 

Zayn had nodded eagerly. Of course he did.

"All you gotta do is share!" the brunette had exclaimed. 

"Share?" Zayn had asked skeptically. The boy had nodded back with great enthusiasm. 

"I have a Batmobile in my backpack. Do you want to play with it? We can share!" he offered, a grin splitting across his face. 

Zayn had  _loved_  Batman. His eyes had lit up and he had nodded. 

"I'm Zayn," he told the boy. 

"I'm Liam." 

\--

 

 

 

If you want to request any prompts, this is my [Tumblr](http://bitchxniall.tumblr.com/)!

\-- B <3

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks. Kudos and Comments mean THE WORLD to me.


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